Smirin Conquers New York
Israeli GM Ilya Smirin won clear first place in the New York Open by defeating Alexander Grischuk in the final round while Igor Khenkin, the other round 8 leader, drew his game with Tregubov. Smirin finished with 7.5/9. Nick De Firmian seemingly came back from the dead after an early-round loss to finish in a tie for second. Bu lost and finished with 5.5 points.
Notable Round 9 Results:
Smirin, Ilya (2666) 1-0 Grischuk, Alexander (2580)
Khenkin, Igor (2622) ˝-˝ Tregubov, Pavel (2615)
De Firmian, Nick E (2570) 1-0 Minasian, Artashes (2598)
Yermolinsky, Alex (2596) ˝-˝ Leitao, Rafael (2565)
Bu, Xiangzhi (2565) 0-1 Kalantarian, Norik (2474)
Blank Goncalves, Eduardo (2149) 0-1 Krush, Irina (2399)
Final Standings:
1 Smirin, Ilya 2666 7˝
2 Khenkin, Igor 2622 7.0
3 De Firmian, Nick E 2570 7.0
4 Goldin, Alexander 2566 7.0
5 Ivanov, Alexander 2541 W79 7.0
The official website is at
w-w-w.com/nyopen/
11 May 2000
Leaderboard Shakeup as Leitao Loses
Ilya Smirin bumped off leader Rafael Leitao, and there is now a 3-way tie for first with only one round remaining. Leading with 6.5 points are Smirin, Igor Khenkin, and Alexander Grischuk. In the final round, Smirin plays Grischuk, and Khenkin plays Tregubov. Bu drew and has 5.5 points. Can one player emerge as the clear victor of this year's Open?
Notable Round 8 Results:
Leitao, Rafael (6) 0-1 Smirin, Ilya (6˝)
Benjamin, Joel (5˝) 3 0-1 Khenkin, Igor (6˝)
Grischuk, Alexander (6˝) 1-0 Kaidanov, Gregory (5˝)
Kekelidze, Mikheil (5˝) ˝-˝ Bu, Xiangzhi (5˝)
Nakamura, Hikaru (3˝) 0-1 Ritter, Mark (4˝)
Krush, Irina (4˝) 0-1 Becerra, Julio J (5˝)
10 May 2000
Leitao Hangs Onto Lead
GM Rafael Leitao still hangs onto the lead after 7 rounds of the New York Open. Leitao drew Kaidanov and now has 6 points; 12 players are tied for second with 5.5. Xiangzhi Bu won again, and is now only a point back of the lead with 5 points.
Notable Round 7 Results:
Kaidanov, Gregory (5˝) ˝-˝ Leitao, Rafael (6)
Nielsen, Peter Heine (5˝) ˝-˝ Grischuk, Alexander (5˝)
Becerra, Julio J (4˝) 0-1 Smirin, Ilya (5˝)
Khenkin, Igor (5˝) 1-0 Fishbein, Alexander (4˝)
Lalic, Bogdan (4˝) 0-1 Tregubov, Pavel (5˝)
Ivanov, Alexander (5˝) 1-0 Bologan, Victor (4˝)
Yermolinsky, Alex (5˝) 1-0 Fedorowicz, John P (4˝)
Sulskis, Sarunas (4˝) 0-1 Novikov, Igor (5˝)
Dvoirys, Semen (5˝) 1-0 Bauer, Christian (4˝)
Grabliauskas, Virg (4˝) 0-1 Benjamin, Joel (5˝)
Karatorossian, David (4˝) 0-1 Goldin, Alexander (5˝)
Bu, Xiangzhi (5) 1-0 Bonin, Jay R (4)
Lapshun, Yurij (4˝) 1-0 Nakamura, Hikaru (3˝)
Standings after Round 7:
1 Leitao, Rafael 2565 6.0
2 Smirin, Ilya 2666 5˝
3 Khenkin, Igor 2622 5˝
4 Tregubov, Pavel 2615 5˝
5 Kaidanov, Gregory 2599 5˝
6 Yermolinsky, Alex 2596 5˝
7 Novikov, Igor 2591 5˝
8 Dvoirys, Semen 2591 5˝
9 Benjamin, Joel 2591 5˝
10 Grischuk, Alexander 2580 5˝
11 Goldin, Alexander 2566 5˝
12 Nielsen, Peter Heine 2564 5˝
13 Ivanov, Alexander 2541 5˝
9 May 2000
Leitao Leaps into Lead
Brazilian GM Rafael Leitao is in clear first place after round 6 of the New York Open. Leitao beat Khenkin while Kaidanov, the other round 5 leader, drew with Epishin. In Round 7, Leitao faces Kaidanov. Bu won and now has 4 points. Nakamura drew and has 3.5.
Notable Round 6 Results:
Leitao, Rafael (5˝) 1-0 Khenkin, Igor (4˝)
Epishin, Vladimir (4˝) ˝-˝ Kaidanov, Gregory (5)
Grischuk, Alexander (5) 1-0 Stripunsky, Alexander (4)
Sales, Jesse Noel (3) 0-1 Bu, Xiangzhi (4)
Nakamura, Hikaru (3˝) ˝-˝ Marzolo, Cyril (3˝)
Standings after Round 6:
Leitao, Rafael 2565 5˝
Kaidanov, Gregory 2599 5.0
Grischuk, Alexander 2580 5.0
Nielsen, Peter Heine 2564 5.0
8 May 2000
Khenkin, Kaidanov, Leitao Tied after Round 5
Igor Khenkin, Gregory Kaidanov, and GM Rafael Leitao of Brazil are tied for the lead with 4.5 points after the 5th round of the New York Open.
4th round leader Khenkin drew with Smirin while Kaidanov and Leitao won their games. Another draw for Bu, this time with veteran swiss player Formanek. Nakamura got back on track with a win.
Notable Round 5 Results:
Khenkin, Igor ˝-˝ Smirin, Ilya
Nielsen, Peter Heine ˝-˝ Tregubov, Pavel
Kaidanov, Gregory 1-0 Bauer, Christian
Thorhallsson, Throstur 0-1 Leitao, Rafael
Kekelidze, Mikheil 1-0 Minasian, Artashes
Bu, Xiangzhi ˝-˝ Formanek, Edward W
Agaian,Sarkis 0-1 Nakamura, Hikaru
7 May 2000
Khenkin Sole Leader after 4 Rounds
German GM Igor Khenkin stands alone atop the leaderboard after 4 rounds of the New York Open. Khenkin stopped Goldin and was the only 3rd round leader to find a victory. Most other top boards ended in draws.
Xiangzhi Bu is struggling, as he gave up a draw to a 2300. Nakamura also drew with a 2000 expert.
Anna Hahn lost, as did Irina Krush.
Notable Round 4 Results:
Goldin, Alexander (2566) 0-1 Khenkin, Igor (2622)
Tregubov, Pavel (2615) ˝-˝ Galkin, Alexander (2566)
Lalic, Bogdan (2548) ˝-˝ Kaidanov, Gregory (2599)
Bauer, Christian (2517) ˝-˝ Yermolinsky, Alex (2596)
Epishin, Vladimir (2667) ˝-˝ Thorhallsson, Throstur (2489)
Smirin, Ilya (2666) 1-0 Blatny, Pavel (2512)
Burnett, Ronald Wa (2437) ˝-˝ Serper, Gregory (2587)
Pineda, Rogelio (2320) ˝-˝ Bu, Xiangzhi (2565)
Nakamura, Hikaru (2261) ˝-˝ Gouby, Sliman (2000)
The official website is at
w-w-w.com/nyopen/
9 Players Still Perfect
After 3 rounds of the New York Open, only 9 players remain undefeated: Khenkin, Tregubov, Kaidanov, Yermolinsky, Goldin, Galkin, Lalic, Bauer, and Thorhallsson.
Defending champion Artashes Minasian was unceremoniously dumped from the ranks of the undefeated by one Christian Bauer. Shabalov and Benjamin unexpectedly lost, and Serper was held to a draw. Prodigies Bu and Nakamura won.
Notable Round 3 Results:
Bauer, Christian (2517) 1-0 Minasian, Artashes (2598)
Benjamin, Joel (2591) 0-1 Sarkar, Justin (2316)
Thorhallsson, Throstur (2489) 1-0 Shabalov, Alexander (2592)
Stamnov, Aleksandar (2226) 1-0 Zilberman, Yaacov (2505)
Serper, Gregory (2587) ˝-˝ Hebert, Jean (2462)
Ashley, Maurice A (2499) ˝-˝ Cuartas, Carlos (2300)
Bu, Xiangzhi (2565) 1-0 Koenig, David E (2236)
Tasu, Traian (1659) 0-1 Nakamura, Hikaru (2261)
6 May 2000
Christiansen Crushed in Round 2
The USA's Larry Christiansen was the latest big-name grandmaster to lose his way in New York, as he bowed to Andranik Matikozian. Former New York Open champion Pavel Blatny was held to a draw, as was Joel Benjamin.
Xiangzhi Bu got back on his bicycle with a win, but whiz kid Hikura Nakamura was thrown to the floor.
Notable Round 2 Results:
Christiansen, Larry (2596) 0-1 Matikozian, Andranik (2392)
Pineda, Rogelio (2320) 1-0 Nataf, Igor A. (2529)
Sorensen, Jan (2401) ˝-˝ Agrest, Evgenij (2604)
Paragua, Mark (2368) ˝-˝ Dvoirys, Semen (2591)
Benjamin, Joel (2591) ˝-˝ Ritter, Mark (2415)
Cuartas, Carlos (2300) ˝-˝ Blatny, Pavel (2512)
Gonzalez Maza, Rafael (2301) ˝-˝ Ashley, Maurice A (2499)
Nakamura, Hikaru (2261) 0-1 Pena Cabrero, Osvaldo (2260)
Hall, Timothy (2000) 0-1 Bu, Xiangzhi (2565)
Bu Bonked in 1st Round
The world's youngest GM, Xiangzhi Bu, was bonked in the first round of the New York Open by a lowly 2186 expert. Rough equality was reached after a Saemisch King's Indian opening, but Bu didn't find the right continuations at several points, and his position finally fell apart.
That wasn't the only first-round shocker. Top-seeded Vladimir Epishin drew with another prodigy, Hikaru Nakamura. After a Gruenfeld Defense, Epishin made some noise on the queenside, but Nakamura stopped his passed pawn and eventually captured it, earning the draw. NM Renard Anderson shocked the tournament by winning a piece in the middlegame when Nick De Firmian missed a simple tactic.
First Round Upsets:
Bu, Xiangzhi (2565) 0-1 McClelland, Shear (2186)
Epishin, Vladimir (2667) ˝-˝ Nakamura, Hikaru (2261)
Privman, Boris (2235) ˝-˝ Annakov, Babakuli (2600)
De Firmian, Nick E (2570) 0-1 Anderson, Renard W (2204)
Fishbein, Alexander (2513) ˝-˝ Van Der Plas, Rob (2155)
Can Bu Scare New York?
14-year-old Xiangzhi Bu is one of over 40 GMs hoping to win this year's New York Open. The world's youngest grandmaster has already compiled an impressive list of victories.
Bu won the gold medal in the Under 14 section of the 1998 FIDE World Youth Festival. In October, 1999, the prodigy completed his third and final GM norm by winning the Qingdao Daily Cup in China. Earlier this year, Bu defeated Teimour Radjabov in a match between "future world champions." He tied for second at the recent Reykjavik Open, and just two weeks ago won a tournament in Stuttgart, Germany.
Among the favorites to take a bite out of the Big Apple this year is the
reigning champion, Armenian GM Artashes Minasian (he won in 1998, there was no tournament in 1999). Others expected to scale the heights of the leaderboard are Alex Yermolinsky, Gregory Serper, Vladimir Epishin, Ilya Smirin, Alexander Shabalov, Joel Benjamin, and Gregory Kaidanov.
What are Bu's chances of winning this type of event? How will he fare in this win-or-starve big-money swiss tournament atmosphere? Even though he has little of this kind of experience, he should still be considered a favorite, because his genius has the potential to outshine all the others. Will Bu glow this year or next?
Several illustrious young players made early appearances at the New York Open. In 1988, the relatively unknown 19-year-old Vassily Ivanchuk won the tournament. Gata Kamsky played in the 1989 event shortly after his defection. All three Polgar sisters played that year as well.
The Russian contingent this year includes Epishin, Pavel Tregubov, Alexander Grischuk, and Alexander Galkin.
The New York Open runs from May 5 to 11 and is a 9-round swiss. The Open section features a guaranteed $50,000 prize fund, including a first prize of $14,000. Class sections play May 12-14.
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